Argentina trip considered a success

After returning from an 11-day work trip to Argentina, Fort St. John City Councillors Lori Ackerman and Bruce Christensen appeared on Issues and Answers, on Wednesday, to discuss what the City learned from the mission.

Both City Councillors, along with City Manager Dianne Hunter and Director of Planning and Engineering Horatio Galanti visited three communities in northern Argentina that were all similar in population size to Fort St. John and were heavily influenced by surrounding industries.

The visit was set up as a knowledge exchange between the Argentine communities and Fort St. John. Lori Ackerman had previously told Energeticcity.ca that the trip was to show how the City has been adapting to various climate change policies.

Ackerman says one of the energy efficiency aspects from the City that was highlighted was how it has been helping to conserve water.

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Ackerman says the total cost of the trip to send the four of them down to Argentina was approximately $8,000. However, Bruce Christensen adds that the City can recover more than that cost if it begins to implement some of the energy saving strategies they saw in the Argentine communities.

Christensen also says the City recognizes the importance of implementing energy saving strategies, not simply to benefit local residents, but also to benefit the environment.

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Officials from the Argentine communities are expected to visit Fort St. John early next summer to meet with local businesses and to see first-hand the energy saving strategies the City has put in place.